Never Ending
by Angel Mercury
Summary: A Crystal Tokyo saga in which I try to dismistify the annoying brat stereotype people put on Chibi Usa and in which I show my vision of the future after Galaxia.....
1. Prologue

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I started writing this fic a long time ago and due to a lack of time I dropped it. I promise to write it all the way to the end now, so please read and review. I can't promise a chapter every week, but I'll do my best.

Anyhow, the following 2 chapters are old chapters that have been edited. Completely new chapters coming soon. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

* * *

**Forward:**

* * *

It's been over 1000 years since the defeat of Galaxia and a few less since an evil shadow last touched the boundaries of the known universe. Though the time stream still held scars of a battle that changed the fate of all living things, the overall result of such changes was much less harmful than one would have expected. Crystal Tokyo did come into existence eventually, and with it Princess Small Lady Serenity and her younger sister, Kousagi, who, as some might remember, was briefly introduced on a side story called Parallel Sailor Moon, written by Takeuchi Naoko herself. Along with this young princess, new senshi arise to serve as her guardians; and they are the former senshi's daughters. As they were named after their mothers, this story will refer to them by: Ami, Rei, Minako and Makoto. As for the senshi we have always known, Neo Queen Serenity's guardians, they will be referred to merely as; Mizuno, Hino, Aino and Kino…

Everlasting peace has its flaws, and though on the outside no dark creature ever laid its claws on the realm of light again; on the inside one's overwhelming splendor might as well hide the irreversible sea of torments that works its way into the hearts of those whose brilliance does not jump out quite as much.

PS- Ages are meant to guide readers as to the PHYSICAL appearance the characters have, for referring to Hotaru's and a few others' ages usually proves troublesome.

* * *

**Prologue - Prelude to Foundation**

* * *

Spring drew near it's end and the magnificence of an entire city seemed fairer under the multicolored dawn. The city that in the Old Days had re-united all countries under a single flag grew more and more crowded as the long awaited celebration of a triple royal birthday confirmed what all citizens knew: the fairest of all Ladies and the most generous ruler still fascinated the people. Some would come from far away lands for a chance to see the mysterious Queen that only showed herself on special occasions, such as the masquerade that allowed a number of ordinary citizens a night of fun at the palace as the royal family held the best parties ever to cheer for the queen's and princesses' birthdays.

June 30th was no more than a little while away, and the chaotic movement of guards and other peculiar fellows moving in and out of the palace could be classified as intriguing. And yet, despite all the noise, a rather strange girl sat all by herself on the outskirts of the arena used for the training of the main defense force that kept things quiet in these times of peace; the sailor senshi. Their true identity was not of public knowledge, but common sense held that most of them were way too young to bear that amount of responsibility… A passerby might have wondered what was that funny girl staring at, albeit anyone with a keener sense of smell would sense the scent of burnt cloth and skin. Sparks of rainbow colored energy were sometimes spotted in the sky, although she seemed to be the only one to actually see what was going on down in the arena…

"Kousagi, watch out!" An orange beam of energy struck the little princess right a cross the left cheek, and since her fuku offered no protection for her face, she bent down and started weeping as loud as her lungs could bear.

"It wasn't my fault!", cried poor Minako, who, for once, did take the training serious.

"Oh, yeah, your fault or not, you're getting that brat to shut up!" said Rei sharply.

"I can't believe she did it again! And right when we're so close to the big party… Ami-chan, can anybody fix that wound in time? It looks bad…"

"I don't know. Mako-chan, my parents are doctors, not me. Which reminds me:…"

"They're gonna be mad at us because of dumb Kousagi again!" they all cried in unison.

"But I swear it wasn't my fault…" whispered a rather desperate Minako.

From a distance a grown up group of senshi watched the youngsters as they trained; out of the four, at least two were just about to burst out laughing.

"Should we help them?" asked Sailor Ceres.

"Nah, that's what always happens when they get Kousagi to train a little." replied Sailor Pallas.

Sailor Vesta and Sailor Juno just kept trying not to laugh…

Still, from outside the training area, the gloomy girl kept staring at them, not finding anything about the accident worth laughing at. Had she been wearing her usual hairstyle and the typical princess dress, or even if just the crescent moon on her forehead could be seen, there would be no mistaking her for a servant. But it all had a purpose… the old jeans, the ponytail, the bandana on her forehead, the glasses she wore at all times….

"Princess Small Lady Serenity, Tomoe-sama is waiting for you two to go on to the first day of your summer cram school. You need to change and be off or you'll be late."

She looked down at the cute, full–grown gray cat and sighed, "I'll be there right away…"

A smile on her face, but the experienced and wise could tell… the shimmering glow of those ruby eyes could speak for themselves…

* * *

**Continues on Part One...**


	2. Part One Mirror Image

* * *

**Part One - Mirror Image**

* * *

"...And as you may see through the graphics on your right, mutation and DNA anomalies occur mainly during the process of meiosis, in which the cell sometimes divides the number of chromosomes into two groups that do not contain the same number of chromosomes or that contain an abnormal chromosome whose structure was altered by excessive radiation or a number of other factors. That is all for today's class. Tests to evaluate your assessing progress will be held next Sunday and all students should sign up before Friday. We hope to see each and everyone of you going to the best universities, so work hard and don't forget about the special lecture with Professor Kyoumu on modern genetic engineering this Saturday. Dismissed."

As Ms.Satsuki voiced these last few syllables, a tide of weary brains silently made its way to the computer lab, where they would go on practicing and reading thought their notes until late evening commanded them to sleep. The sterile walls of those corridors fulfilled their role to perfection: a warning to all who ventured into the world of fierce competition that was believed to determine whether one would be successful or not in adult life. Juken was its name. The perilous gatekeeper that did not forgive weariness nor exhaustion. A vestige of the Old Days; of a country that was once called Japan. A test that appraised the knowledge of an entire life time; of an entire school life. And thus, the cause of much grief among those whose energy was being voluntarily drained by hours of restless study and nights haunted by lack of sleep...

"Usagi-chan, Usagi-chan..." called a young lady.

"Hotaru-chan..." mumbled the other, looking up to her friend from the depths of a troubled sleep. As she suddenly realized where she was, the girl straightened herself up trying to wash the visible fatigue off her face. "I slept again, didn't I? The first week of our Summer cram school and I'm already sleeping during class..."

Removing her glasses, Hotaru looked at her friend with a slight bit of concern. "That's because you haven't been sleeping enough lately. I know Diana has told you this already - sometimes is good to be bubbly like you used to be when we first met."

"I know it, but..."

"...but you want to attend the best universities like the King did. Certainly that's not the main reason for it. You met the Queen when she was young, and alas, wisdom and happiness are not entirely determined by how exhausted you become in order to get into university. I'm aiming for the best medical school, just like Mizuno-sama, and she has told me, just as she has told you, that there is no need to sacrifice yourself this much. Even the King, as serious as he might be, has told you not to work so hard."

The pink-haired girl remained silent.

"Usagi-chan, you know I don't like meddling in other people's lives, but you're my best friend. We have know each other for so long... I sense that you don't want to talk about the real why of you suddenly changing and deciding to study even more than Mizuno-sama or any of them. But promise you'll talk about if you need to?"

"I...I promise."

Hotaru stood up and got a hold on the pile of books resting by her desk, working her way towards the exit. "Bye, Usagi-chan. I need to go home today, so I can't walk with you to the palace. It's quite strange, you see... lately, I'm the one's who's been talking unusually much, and you're the one who's been unusually quiet..."

"Thanks, Hotaru-chan."

"Eh? Thanks?"

"You're the only one who doesn't call me either Princess, Small or Chibi..."

And each strode off into the city; school time was over. Albeit it would start again the next morning...

* * *

"Ceres, you do make the best tea in the Galaxy. Kino-sama sure is a good sensei." said Sailor Pallas, helping herself to another cup.

The warm breeze of an early Summer afternoon whistled a gentle melody while hustling through the blooming moon roses of the innumerable gardens the palace sheltered. If not for an occasional servant passing by, one could not guess the preparations for the great celebration of a triple birthday were still going on. Not a single trace of the previous days' chaos in sight. And if not for their fuku, one could not guess that group of merry guardians was in charge of Crystal Tokyo's security force...

"Ceres, Pallas! We're on duty here! This ain't supposed to be an afternoon tea party! Don't you agree, Vesta?" as she glared at her fellow senshi, she was shocked (and almost fell off her seat) to find Sailor Vesta sipping tea, carefree as any of the others.

"What?" asked Vesta, searching the gazebo for any odd creature creeping up behind her.

"Never mind..."

And they looked at Juno's frowned face; only to burst out laughing a second later.

"Oh, come on, don't take it so serious... It's like being on permanent vacation! All we do is help Kousagi and the kids train a little and help find missing people once in a while. Ah, It's the best job in the world." smiled Sailor Pallas.

"That's right. There's no need to worry this much, we haven't had a real fight since..."

They fell deadly silent. Memories of past sins hovering over their heads. Attempting to bring back the joy of moments before, Ceres said-

"Would anybody like some more tea?"

The chatting started again, although not as merry as it had the first time. Soon enough, they would be laughing carelessly, but not without a shadow stinging in the back of their minds... and alas, in the fashion of materialized myth, the shadow gained shape, sneaking through the pathways of the garden gale. Sailor Juno, getting a glimpse of this, did not hesitate -

"Stop it right there!" And as the figure took no notice of her talking, she stood up once more, "Amazon Hurling Spears!"

Furiously the beam of spears shot a hole through the trespasser's body. Coming into the sunlight, the stranger showed his face. The royal tailor, no less.

"Oh my! Juno, you just shot the King's new tuxedo!" exclaimed Sailor Ceres.

"The one he were to wear for the masquerade!" added Sailor Pallas.

A creaking sound warned them just in time to move, as the gazebo they had been in collapsed.

"In for killing tuxedos and gazebos today, ain't we?" giggled Vesta, with a half-hidden smile on her lips.

A desperate tailor on one side, a desperate senshi on the other. Not such a peaceful day after all.

"That's funny..." pondered Ceres, "I'm sure we should be somewhere else...And I'm sure it had something to do with the masquerade..."

* * *

"Where are they? Where-are-they?" yelled Hino, upset by somebody's delay.

Hikawa Jinja was quite welcoming that afternoon. The trees, the grass... everything seemed to be just in the right place. The temple itself had stopped in time. A refuge for those who still appreciated simple gifts from Mother Nature. Hino, for instance, had been in charge of her family's shrine for what would have been called "generations"; though such a term held very little meaning for the ones born under the protection of the new realm of light. For ages those four had not gathered around a table, such as did this day. And experience exposed a theory long forgotten- time does not change one's essence entirely...

"I can't believe this! They were supposed to meet us here hours ago! We'll never get this done!"

"Hino-chan, they are probably busy taking care of the palace..." said Mizuno, not truly believing her own words.

"Or maybe they decided they are not going to attend the masquerade or something." suggested Kino, not believing her own words either.

Hino, ever more angrier, couldn't think of a reason for their absence besides... "Irresponsible brats, that's what they are! Oh, it took me an entire week to get the royal tailor to come here so that we could try on our dresses for the ceremony, and what do you know - they simply forget about it!"

"Hino-chan... you know Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Juno didn't do it on purpose." declared Mizuno, trying to keep things under control.

Hino, calming down a bit, sighed, "I know, but this way, we'll never get the dresses ready in time. There's a lot of adjusting to do, and we're the guests of honor. We can't attend wearing our sailor fuku or ordinary everyday clothes. People would surely figure out who we are. Being close to Neo Queen Serenity and all."

"Well," replied Kino, "I can adjust the dresses for them, if we can't get the royal tailor to do it before the ball."

They remained quiet for a while, pondering whether they should be angry, furious or just forget about it. And the thought of the little princesses not being able to hide their identity like they were did not come to their conscious minds. Nor did the thought of their own daughters not caring about identities...

"I'm sure we'll manage to get the dresses ready in time." mourned Mizuno.

"I still think they are just too irresponsible! It takes time to adjust this kind of dress."

"Gee..." said Aino from a corner, "I guess this ain't a good time to say I wanted another dress instead of this one..."

The other three stared at her sharply, especially Hino, who was already over her head with that conversation...

* * *

Silence. Much in the fashion of the old tales from the Days when death and war forced humanity to embrace a desolating lack of whispers, laughs and music. But that was not the way life worked in this sacred fortress. The Crystal palace, overlooking the city, overlooking the world, would not let out a sigh for the past tragedies. Its inhabitants rather welcomed the silence, for that was the way of peace. No need for rebellions, no need for struggles, no poverty and nothing the earthlings would have to worry about for many a decade. The pure joy of exploring the full potential of one's existence... No need for gloominess most of all...

Wandering without a clear destination through the hallways of her so-called home, a lady passed by the gardens, striding off to the upper decks of the terrace. Was it possible that a mere sunset would rip it off her mind? Not the strength of ten mighty priests would wash him off her mind... Stomping onto a few servants on her way up; they who always apologized so promptly for her lack of attention...they who always readily bowed in respect for their princess; they who never complained if she left her books lying around. No need for gloominess most of all...

"Small Lady, dear, I've been looking for you."

She bowed slightly in respect, "I'm sorry, mother, did I forget to do anything this evening? I can't remember..."

Not Small anymore...not much of a lady for sure...and still, they insisted on calling her Small Lady.

Neo Queen Serenity glared at her daughter with some concern. Blending herself with the shadows... not a good way of maturing indeed. "Darling, I've received a holo-cube from princess Kakyuu in response for the invitation we placed. Would you like to come down to the office and see it?"

Not much of a question. Rather than that, an excuse for having a rough and private talk. She knew her mother well; kind as she might be, serious talks were a trace of the past Usagi time did not bother to erase; the inability to handle things straight to the point. Nevertheless, the young princess caught her cue and followed her mother till they reached a sealed door and stepped inside.

The Queen sat down near a crystal shiny desk, reaching into one of the drawers for the holo-cube. The young lady followed her example, and sat down next to her. In a few seconds, a perfect hologram of Princess Kakyuu was formed and it addressed them formally, "Neo Queen Serenity, King Endymion and all members of Earth's royal family, it is with great pleasure that I accept your invitation for the masquerade and coronation ceremony of Princess Small Lady Serenity. It is my wish to congratulate her for accepting such a responsibility. May the prosperity of your kingdom ensure that the universe remain peaceful for all eternity. My ship's arrival will be scheduled directly with the spaceport officers. My three faithful guardians will see to it and they are honored for being invited as well."

The hologram bowed and dimmed to nothingness. A polite response, but not altogether new for Queen nor the Princess sitting beside her. That was not the true purpose of being there.

After a pause, the Queen began to talk, "Small Lady, I am aware that we have not asked you anything before determining that this year's birthday celebration would also be your coronation ceremony, and I see now that it does not please y..."

"No, mother! I will go through all that is..."

"...needed like an obedient daughter. That matches your thoughts more accurately than anything you might have said. I know you don't like the idea of replacing me, and frankly I don't understand why. But your father and I are aging quickly. It does not look so because our appearances don't ever change, but we are. It is time that you learn how to take care of this planet by yourself. You will not be left alone; we're not dying just yet. But you need to take over while we are still here to help you... and help the one you chose to be King."

The princess' cheeks did not flush red as they would have a few hundred years back. Rather, they went pale at the thought of everlasting loneliness; for the one she once held dear, never again showed himself for his maiden...

"Mother, I don't complain about any of it, but what about the people? You know what they think of me..."

"They'll learn to respect and love you. That's all there is to it."

"Wouldn't Kousagi be a better Queen when she grows up?"

"Her mission in this world is different." Neo Queen Serenity remained quiet and stared out the window. "You grew up to resemble your father so much...", she smiled, "serious, studying so hard. But those dark circles framing your eyes tell me you haven't been listening to your father nor Diana. Save some energy for the masquerade."

The princess noticed the change in subjects, but said naught of it. No need for gloominess most of all... "I will".

* * *

"Trouble with the kids again, eh?" giggled Haruka, trying not to laugh out loud at the comic scenery.

A house standing alone in the evening, not far away from the crowded Crystal Tokyo. The one that had highlighted their new lives as a family after the great war. The one in which they raised baby Hotaru together and the one they still held as a special place for sharing thoughts and merry memories. The starry sky assured, by all means, that the situation was undoubtedly out of control. In charge of violin lessons for the youngsters, Michiru failed to keep little Kousagi awake and yelling did mot prevent Makoto, Minako and Rei from dozing off at times. Though Ami paid close attention to her sensei, she was an exception; a genetic trace, perhaps...

"Hey kids," shouted Haruka, "Why don't you go on to the kitchen and make supper before it's time to go home?"

An immediate change could be detected among the children, as if exposed to some obscure magic phrase.

"Can we make supper by ourselves?" exclaimed Makoto, "Mother never lets me mess around her kitchen at home."

"Food? Where? Where?", mumbled Kousagi, following the others into the kitchen.

"Oh, good time analyze some new recipes I read about." said Ami, a near mad scientist look upon her young face. Minako and Rei didn't seem too excited about it, though.

Not very long after they went into the kitchen, Michiru, still astonished by the sudden change, collapsed on the living room couch, next to Haruka, who caressed her face softly, but didn't manage to get the weariness off Michiru's shoulders.

Not so pleased with the thought five wild beasts alone with the task of preparing supper, Michiru exclaimed, "Ruka, you're cleaning their mess! I appreciate you getting them to actually do something, but cooking supper? By themselves? What were you thinking?"

"Who says I was thinking?"

They both smiled. If not for the doorbell, they would have remained in their little daydream till the house went on fire, or till the children openly started to cry for ruining their meal.

"I'll take it." stated Michiru, standing up and sliding the door open. "Hotaru-chan? Why ringing the doorbell? It's your home, so..." Michiru stopped, taking notice of the pile of books the girl was carrying. Of course there was not a possibility of Hotaru ever reaching the doorknob without dropping them. Elementary, she thought, much too obvious. "I was worried, you said you would be coming home right after class, and it's already evening."

"I..." Hotaru hesitated, blushing a little, uncomfortable with the situation, "I ran into a teacher on my way out, and we spent some time discussing which universities I should apply for..."

"Way to go Hotaru! Growing up, ain't ya?" provoked Haruka, coming up behind them.

Hotaru, cheeks flushing red, could not have felt more out of place. She was not used to this, and searched her memory, struggling to come across the proper words for a reply, though she voiced none.

"Ruka!", scorned Michiru, tossing a pillow on the other's head, "Don't embarrass her! Hotaru-chan, come, I'll help you carry your books to the study. And then we'll see that the housed doesn't burn down because of those five in the kitchen." She aimed an icy cold look towards Haruka, who just shrugged and laughed a little.

"What five?" asked Hotaru.

"Oh, Haruka just told Kousagi and her friends to cook supper... They were not very interested in their violin lessons. I'm glad they come here just twice each week. I would go insane otherwise. Especially Kousagi...I wander if it the ordinary maturing time among the Tsukino girls always revolve around a thousand years..."

* * *

The emptiness that's left…. Till love and fame to nothing do sink. No matter how many times one had been to this timeless void, they would never grow immune to feeling small and unimportant in face of the wide variety of worlds and dimensions that could be accessed from there. Where dusk and dawn lost all previous meaning and the gate that served as a reference for wanderers was the one light of hope assuring that life progressed, unaware of the passing of any being.

As a council, it seemed, a few of those beings gathered now in the nothingness of the time stream, and the echoes of their voices could be heard from miles afar, though distance was one of the many concepts that made no sense on this side of reality. They examined a dark spot under which the flow of eras was hurt and almost mourned. Four cats and two humans. Peculiar, one would say, most peculiar indeed...

"I understand this dimension has been gravely hurt, Sailor Pluto. Is it so?"

"Yes, King Endymion. A cross dimensional bridge was formed recently, and I detected a few minor abnormalities in the flow."

"That's strange..." remarked a black cat, walking up to them, "This has not happened once since our level of reality was wiped clean by the destruction of Chaos and the near ruin of the Galaxy Cauldron. Could it be the black Moon fellows rising again? Perhaps history repeating itself?"

"I don't think it so, Luna." , declared Artemis, sitting by her side, "If somebody had transcended ages then we would have a simple time bridge, not a cross-dimensional one. This is a first."

Luna, not knowing what to think, kept examining the dark spot among the mists. Next to their mother, Diana and her kitty sister Aurora. While Diana organized her thoughts about the current turn of events, her sister did not show visible signs of interest. She had not experienced the past as Diana had. In fact, although concerned that this might affect her maiden Kousagi somehow, Aurora was not preoccupied at the thought of danger approaching. She was eager to leave that boring council and meet the next generation of senshi for a pajama party of maybe just laughing until midnight. She could not have been more unlike her parents; her bright pink fur glowing in the void.

"Artemis' right, Luna." confirmed Sailor Pluto, "And what worries me is that I haven't been to track this bridge as to which dimension it was generated from. There is no foretelling who or what went or came through it."

"So this means we should call upon all the senshi and let them decide what to do?" asked Artemis.

"Not yet." replied King Endymion, "Let us not ruin the upcoming festivities while we are not sure whether to worry or not. We need to do further research of this matter before declaring an emergency. The world is not ready for a war after all these years of peace. It would not be wise to cause a massive panic among the people."

"But it wouldn't be wise to be caught by surprise either." stated Luna, coming out of her wondering, "With all the respect, King Endymion, surprise is what caused the Black Moon tragedies. Let us tell the queen about this, at least."

"Yes, I shall let her know of it." said the King, "Pluto, can you try and locate the source of this bridge again? I don't like it that we are blind against this... power, may it be friend or foe."

"I cannot." assured Pluto, "The equilibrium here is still very weak. Whoever created this passage knew that it would take me a lot of energy to detect its source. And such energy would be more than the time stream could handle. Thus, if I use the energy needed to locate the trespasser, reality itself may crumble. But this I know for certain: the one who came through that opening holds a good amount of power within its grasp. Cross-dimensional bridges are not easy to accomplish at all."

"Can't we eliminate a few possibilities?" interrupted Artemis, "Some dimensions are in friendly terms with us, and so they wouldn't create bridges without a warning."

"In this case, I'm afraid it won't be of much help." declared Pluto, "There are hundreds of parallel dimensions coexisting with our own."

"Could this be related to the strange events taking place lately?" asked Luna, "Minor ones such as some animals with an odd behavior and the increased tension among the people?"

Not giving room for the others to reply, Diana jumped out of her daydreaming and asked, with eyes that did not hide her worries and pleas, "Could this have something to do with Small Lady's strange behavior?"

They did not say a word, aware of the strong connection between the cat and her maiden. It was the King who first voiced their thoughts, "Perhaps, Diana, Perhaps."

And Aurora, Kousagi's guardian , while dozing off, did not catch much of anything the assembly had talked about. Except that maybe, just maybe, that meant Kousagi and her friends might have to fight soon... Could they truly succeed at a real war?

* * *

The princess' chambers glowed smoothly, bathed by the moonlight coming in through the high windows. The dim light covered the pale walls with dancing silhouettes, making electricity not needed, if not unwanted. The delicate bed, with its sheets flying rhythmically with the nightly wind, the skillfully carved dressing table... each object in that room seemed to have been made specially for its owner, and for her alone. Even that curious trinket that used to be the princess' favorite toy; the Luna-P ball, now stored away in some not often used closet. Fireflies rivaling the twinkling stars...

A faint warm steam covering the entire room in its mist. Along with it, the princess emerged from her private bathroom, not bothering to wrap herself in towels or robes... She swiftly walked to the great mirror hanging from a door, still refusing to welcome any light but that of the moon; having only her long hair for a cover. She stared blankly at her blurred reflection, and then, reaching out, cleared the surface of that looking glass. Slowly, though with cold scientific precision, she analyzed her body. A full-grown woman...And a gorgeous one according to humanity's standards. Tender skin, long slender legs... round breasts and a marvelous soft hair that ever so gently touched the floor when hanging loose as it was now... She stared at herself for many an hour, but she did not see herself in that reflection. Wasn't that what she had once dreamed of? Being an elegant Lady like her mother? Just like her mother...

"No.", she whispered, "This has to be a nightmare..."

"A nightmare?" spoke back the reflection, "Darling, reality is much worse than nightmares. After all, self pitying dreamers are not wanted in this world. And selfish filthy brats such as yourself are not wanted either. Oh, but you know that already, don't you?"

"I'm not selfish!" protested the princess, her eyes crimson red and filled with tears.

"You know you are. Everybody knows you are. You once almost got your own mother killed and for what? Because you were busy in dreamland playing with the queen's precious crystal. Shame on you."

"Stop it! Stop it!"

"You're not gonna cry, are you? Boo-hoo. You know what they say: once a screw up, always a screw up. And that fits you so well. You never cared about anything besides yourself! You tried to steal your own father from your past mother! You're just a shadow. You're nothing but a puppet! You know you'll never be half as good a queen as Neo Queen Serenity! Everybody knows it! They even thought you were adopted before that crescent on you forehead became permanent! You're not worth the floor you're stepping on!"

"That's not true!" the princess yelled, tears running loose, "I've changed! I've been working hard be as good a queen as there has ever been! Liar! LIAR!"

"Me? A liar? I can't lie, silly, because I am you. Don't shout so much or they might lock you up in an asylum. Oh, wouldn't that solve everything? Rooting in a dark abyss, running from it all. But you won't be that lucky. You deserve to pay for all the mess you ever caused. Studying twenty hours a day? Getting into university? You dare call that change? Ha! Spare me!"

"Stop it, please stop this." whispered the princess bending down to her knees.

"I can't, stupid. Because I don't exit. You're talking to yourself, remember? Going insane, shall I say? Yes, cry your soul out, why don't ya? Wouldn't that make it all easier?. Maybe if you died the people would respect you. But you're not doing it, are you? Such a coward... How can anybody respect a future queen that can't even recognize what a failure she is! Studying, getting book-smart! What a change! Ha ha ha! I must say, I admire that girl, Hotaru. How can she stand a creature like yourself? Want a change? A black mask would suit you better! Oh, but you have worn that already, haven't you? Black Lady. Yes, Chaos didn't erase time memories as she should have. Isn't that convenient, Black Lady?"

"NOOOOOOOO!" a stinging pain blurring the princess' vision.

"Now, about that prince charming of yours... no wonder not even a priest like him could stand you. Not even him! Ha ha ha!"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" screamed the princess, grabbing the first thing she laid her hands upon and throwing it at her enemy with all her strength. A bell. A bell and it rang.

It wasn't enough to break the mirror into pieces; though quite enough to break her clouded mind. A single crack deforming her image from top to bottom. Reaching out she ran her fingertips through it, a few drips of blood sliding to the carpet.

In a second explosion of rage, she got a hold on a pair of scissors lying by her cabinet and began chopping off great lumps of her own pink hair; till in the end, it resembled Hotaru's in length. She didn't care. Sneaking into her old jeans, she climbed down through the porch and ran into the night. Must never stop running, till death or else cut her out.

Little did she know of that bell being heard. But from the depths of those dungeons, there would be no answering her pleas. Nobody ever escaped dimensional dungeons. And the lush green fields of Elysion would soon turn black and if not aided, they would die...

Destiny; no longer a certainty. Lightning calling for a storm before the night's end. Before the end...

* * *

**Continues on Part Two - Vale of Tears...**


	3. Part Two Vale of Tears

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do know where I'm taking the story, but I can't tell you, sorry. Meanwhile, here's a keep-in-mind list of princesses and their respective guardians, with the names that are used in this story (some people said they were still confused...)

Neo Queen Serenity (Usagi, Eternal Sailor Moon) - Hino, Kino, Aino, Mizuno, Haruka, Setsuna, Michiru and Hotaru (Eternal Sailor Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Uranus, Pluto, Neptune and Saturn)

Princess Small Lady Serenity (Chibi Usa, Sailor Chibi Moon, and sometimes I call her Usagi, but it is very clear that it is Chibi Usa) - Sailor Vesta, Pallas, Juno and Ceres (however I don't use "sailor" to refer to them most the time, but I think I make it clear when they are in uniform and when they are not... their names coincide with their titles: Juno, Vesta, Ceres and Pallas)

Princess Kousagi (Parallel Sailor Moon - Chibi Usa's younger sister) - Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako (they were named after their mothers - Sailor Chibi Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus)

Keep in mind that I base this fanfic on the manga, and so far there is no OC in it. All characters have been created by Naoko Takeuchi herself. Have fun, and send me some feedback! Hugs to all, dear readers!

* * *

**Part Two - Vale of Tears**

* * *

A large cup of sugar, three eggs, two cups of flour and then...

"Don't knock it like that after you add the flour! What are you trying to do, beat the soul out of the cupcakes?"

"Sorry, mum..."

Cooking for a hobby is fine, and the joy in little Makoto's eyes was almost palpable. She would spend her time walking around the kitchen, watching her mother turn flour and sugar into cakes, bread and whatever treat a child may ever desire. But her eagerness was not that of a kid foreseeing her next meal overcrowded with various sorts of candies; her uttermost wish was to come up with dishes filled with that special love that always delights those who are fortunate enough to try them. Nevertheless, disappointment not seldom overwhelmed her spirit... It was no easy business debating with her own mother for a chance to improve her cooking skills beyond the task of enhancing somebody else's dish outer appearance. And of course, her guests would usually compliment her out of politeness, for her lack of practice prevented her from cooking anything worth comparing with the legendary chef Kino Makoto; her own mom. Bearing the same name proved not much of an advantage when it came to the real thing...

Noticing the sadness in her daughter's eyes, Kino made an attempt to comfort her, "It's ok, darling, it takes time to learn. Why don't we try again tomorrow morning? It's not good for you to be up this late."

"Ok." , said Makoto, not very enthusiastically. As she approached the window near the staircase that led up to her room, sparks emerged from her little fingers reaching for the stormy night sky. She emitted a shriek as the bothersome chill went down her spine. "Oh, I hate these storms! They make me feel like a battery or something! Like I could electrocute some one!"

Kino, giggling at the quote, added, "You feel it too, don't you? Your father always said it was um...peculiar. Well, that comes along with being a Jupiter, my darling Sailor Chibi Jupiter. By the way, how's the rehearsal for the ball going?"

"Dumb Kousagi keeps whining all the time! If she were here now, I swear I would electrocute her!" she exclaimed, looking at the heavy rain pouring outside.

"Don't say that. You're all just children! It's just that she's more...immature than the rest of you. You'd be shocked at how much Neo Queen Serenity was like that when she was young."

"Oh, yeah, right. Good night mom."

Makoto hurried up the staircase trying to hold back the uncontrollable wave of laughter coming to her trembling lips. What her mother had just said was as outrageous as those silly legends about the Silver Millennium they taught her in school. Nothing but a kid's bedtime story... Sure there was a queen now, and the balls and her mum playing Jupiter Princess once a year, but that was too much. Which sane mind on dear Earth would believe the all-mighty Neo Serenity was once a clumsy girl? Kousagi must have been adopted, that had to be...

She stopped dead on her tracks, peering out the window sill... holding her breath, clasping a door knob to the point her delicate fingers soared with a stinging pain. Makoto didn't feel that. Some small amount of pain did not draw her bewildered eyes away from the ghostly figure forming in the stormy sky nigh above her head. She was unable perceive how such a thing could come to pass...

Makoto was so consumed by that vision that she did not even notice the sparks and warmth rising from her breast pocket and wrapping her entire body in a bright green light and leaving her other self standing there when it vanished. She transformed into Sailor Chibi Jupiter without invoking her planetary powers! It would have been alarming if not for the lightning tearing the clouds apart and exhibiting a gigantic portrait of a man through the gap in the heavens. A man she recognized from ancient history books. A man that belonged in fairy tales... A man that... should not exist at all!

Snapping out of her induced trance, Makoto dashed into her father's office, punching the keys on the videophone with unmeasured fury, capable of cracking the screen beyond repair. She paced a trail across the carped waiting for somebody to answer her call...

"Pick up, pick up, pick up, PICK UP!" she burst, when finally three well-known faces slid into view on a multi-speaker conference, "Ami, Rei, Mina, look out the window now!"

The sleepy girls mumbled incoherent groans before it dawned on them that this was no 3 AM joke by the exasperated feature on the other side of the 3D phone. "Whazup? It's late and..."

"I SAID NOW!"

Each, from their respective rooms, disappeared for brief seconds and came back wearing the same startled look Makoto had had a little while ago. She reckoned they might have understood the surrealism of the matter.

"So," she said, "Didyouseeit? Doyouknowwhothatis?" blurted Mako, inhaling great draughts of air for speaking too fast. For the first time she glanced at her senshi fuku and gazed at the others, also wearing uniforms.

"I..." gulped Ami, "It can't be...That's only an old legend..."

"Legend or no legend, I morphed without meaning to! Let's meet at Rei's in a quarter!" Mako was ready to hang up and get on the move when Mina, from the upper corner of the screen yelled...

"Wait! I don't recognize the guy in the sky! Who the heck is he!"

Rei shouted impatiently, "Don't you ever listen to history class? That man is the priest Helios!"

"No way!"

* * *

Book, book, books. That study could not withstand any other book being added to its collection. Over the years, Hotaru had gathered all her favorites in this place, though at some point she seemed to have forgotten she should have left room in there for actual human beings to come in and read. One precious spot was not invaded by the tide of knowledge and that was the desk Michiru-mama had bought for her back in a distant childhood she could barely recall...

On top of it she now lay asleep and smashed her pretty face against her cram school notepads. Must study hard to be a good doctor someday, she kept in mind, though the truth was, she did not need to go though medical school to heal people. At any rate, not in conventional sense of healing.

A loud thunder struck the heavens and it was enough to wake her up. It was way past midnight, and certainly did not do any good to neglect her health so harshly...

Stretching out, feeling her now stiff neck, she considered going up to her bedroom when she spotted a figure out on the porch. That's strange, she pondered, sliding the curtains aside.

"Oh, it's you. You scared me...What are you doing here this late? And out there in the rain? " she said, as she let her four-pawed friend in. "Diana...you're aware you shouldn't be out there on a night like this, right?"

"Yes." smirked weakly the gray shivering cat.

"And you're here because..."

"Small Lady disappeared! I went to fetch her to show her the masquerade dress and she wasn't there! I wanted to cheer her up! And there was a broken mirror! And all that hair and blood and I though..."

"That she could be here? Why didn't you use the video phone?"

"I... I..." come to think of it, why didn't she use it?

Hotaru, a faint smile of kindness upon her, perceived that Diana panicked at the thought of her maiden being hurt and did not consider her actions beforehand. Um...that was not like the calm guardian Diana had always been... true, some riot was in the air. People and animals alike had been behaving so unlike themselves...

"I think you better spend the night." added Hotaru,"Dry up and call the palace. Leave a message so that they'll know you're ok." she pointed at the phone standing beyond a thick encyclopedia, dangerously hanging from the edge of her desk.

Diana followed her lead and stepped onto the chair, carefully avoiding getting any notebooks wet on her way up. Ready to dial the number to her home, the cat jumped back in surprise when the face on an unknown man flicked into view. A kind, welcoming smile much like Hotaru's, though she rarely showed it. Hazel eyes and a slack shining hair that almost fooled the ones that did not befriend him into believing him a teenager. He was in fact a grown man. A handsome man.

Facing the wall behind the desk, the face spoke before it could be restrained, "Hota-chan, I'm sorry, I know it's late and..."

He stopped when he got a glimpse of Diana coming up with a puzzled gaze and Hotaru, cheeks flushing red beside her. Diana did feel tension adding to the decor and excused herself in order to allow Hotaru a private conversation with whoever that man must be.

Sitting down, the warmth leaving her cheeks, she waited for the speaker to voice his mind again. "I'm so sorry." he said, "I always end up embarrassing you."

Bravely, she let out a small lie, "Not at all. I know you wouldn't call were it not important, Toshio-kun. Go on"

Another image replaced that of the bodiless head. A galatic chart it seemed. The voice explained, "See the flashing to the left? It indicates and absurd amount of power blocking the Worm Whole on sector B-12. I just spotted it while surveying the sky moments ago. I learned the Alpha Senshi princess would arrive through there. The Worn Whole has turned unstable and it is dangerous. I ask you to please report this to the Queen. It could mean disaster if a ship wrecked under her rule. And there has been some other power surges. An echo of this one, assuming this is not an echo on itself." Yet another star map came into view before the face could be seen once more, "Hotaru, I reckon Serenity will listen to you. Please warn her!"

An alarmed Hotaru stood still fixing the maps in her memory before daring to conjure an answer, "Of course, Toshio-kun. I myself felt something like this might be coming. I would like to take Sailor Pluto's advice before addressing the Queen..."

"And Hota-chan..." he hesitaded,"Are you sure you want me to be your escort to the masquerade? I'm your teacher, people will be gossiping... It would be bad for you. You're Sailor Saturn, Princess Saturn. And I..."

She interrupted quietly, facing the floor and blushing again, "...and you're the only one outside the circle that knows that." Hotaru was definitely behaving unlike herself...

Toshio was about to say something when all artificial light went down, and the videophone went blank...

A power surge?

* * *

Crystal Palace...such a quiet place at night... No boring diplomatic meeting being held, no servants walking around; only the cozy sound of the water touching the ground out in the gardens. That was it for the night, for that night. It was most unusual for the central nervous system of an entire planet to be left unguarded... But no one could resist the temptation to leave their watch posts when the weather called for a good rest, and a loved one beside you. After all, everybody agreed that no real threat would ever reach the glorious sacred refuge; who would dare do anything against their beloved queen?

Taking advantage of the lack of people peeking around where they were not always wanted, the royal couple enjoyed each other's company resting by the fireplace. Being there was enough to fill their hearts with soaring happiness. She, dressed in her delicate nightgown; her silvery hair spreading wide through the welcoming carpet; her head resting on her beloved's lap...He, gently caressing his maiden, admiring her timeless beauty... Being a ruler, dealing with all the bureaucratic work had done so much in the sense of preventing those two from simply being with one another. And they missed it so.

At that point a tiny figure appeared at the door, her silhouette framed by the fire light. Her lavender hair flying wild, her pink pajamas reaching the floor; her teddy bear strangled in between her arms...

"Mama," she said yawning, "there's a monster on my window..."

"Kousagi, darling," replied the queen, "I'm sure you just had a bad dream because of the storm. You know nothing bad would ever invade the palace."

"But he was there. I saw it. He had these eyes and a mouth and all the medals..."

"It was just a nightmare, sweetie. Now why don't you stay here with us until the monster goes away?"

The little girl walked forth to the edge of the fluffy carpet and laid down next to her mother, who held her close as if Kousagi were a teddy bear herself...

"Mama, where's oneechan? I wanted to show my drawings when I got home, but I not found her."

"Well, she...she'll be back soon."

"Think she's gonna like the trapeze thingy Pallas was teaching us for the..."

The tiny princess could not complete that sentence. She was fast asleep in her mother's arms... Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion exchanged a smile at the sight of their daughter and carried her up to their bed. Kousagi wouldn't wake up before dawn...

After that, they returned to the fireplace and observed the fire creeping for some time, in a manner that made it clear that they shared one single thought at that moment...

"Usako," he whispered, "Where is Chibi Usa? There have been strange events taking place, it's dangerous for her..."

"Oh, you haven't called me that since high school...I miss it."

"Usako, this is serious. Our daughter may be ambushed."

"Don't worry. Small Lady is not in danger. She is a grown girl and can defend herself. I was not lying when I said she'll be back soon. I feel it. Let it be for now..."

There was no need for words; they could understand the other's thought without speech. A soft kiss to sign the peace under which that couple lived...

On the opposite end of the castle, however, four dear friends took turns telling jokes, laughing and singing for their companions. A night would not be whole without a pajama party and a pillow war. Merry as fools, or young children; though their wisdom was great and their age almost immeasurable. Life was good, so why worry about imaginary enemies? And a runaway princess that was likely to be out to visit her lover...

"Ok, ok!" exclaimed Ceres from underneath a pile of bed sheets, "I give up! Mercy on me! I lost the pillow war again!"

"I can't believe it." declared Pallas, "Our team always looses. I wanna change partners. It's not fair this way!"

"Not a chance. You two just don't know how to fight! Nah nah, you can't beat us!" giggled Juno, her green hair loose and getting messed up with everything in the room.

"Oh, really? Watch this: let's get them Pallas!" yelled Ceres, while she and Pallas jumped over the others, tickling them to exhaustion.

"Stop it, we surrender!" pleaded Vesta, not able to stop her own laughing.

Getting a hold of themselves, every one of them regaining composure after breathing hard for at least a couple minutes. Then, seriousness took over and they engaged in a talk that was not meant to cause joy...

"Ok, so where do you guys think she headed?" asked Juno.

"I bet it was Elysion. Isn't it where that Helios lives?" added Vesta.

"Oh, this is so Romantic!" sighed Ceres.

"I want one of those for me too!" dreamed Pallas.

"You two!" pointed both Juno and Vesta, blushing slightly.

Suddenly they got a glimpse of a person heading towards the outer gardens, coming from an open window to the sides of the palace.

"Hey, look, isn't that Kousagi's bedroom?"

"It is, but what was that um...man doing there?"

"A trespasser? In this storm? It's not possible!"

"Should we follow him?"

"Nah, I bet Kousagi-chan already has a boyfriend... after all who the heck would want to hurt the little princess?"

They could not guess the magnitude of their mistake... He was there to do harm, to slay his next prey... only an inch from succeeding; when higher forces made him leave, otherwise...

* * *

Beyond the mists of darkness and death, a shiny light of hope floated in the form of a sphere, dashing images alive all the way through the no longer green fields of Elysion. One last hope of reaching redemption beyond the bitterness of captivity. As it were, the glaive of merciless slaughter would drop much too soon. He could not allow for it. He would not allow for this. He had heard it. He had seen it in every detail. Desperation taking over such a marvelous soul...the bell begging for aid in the desolation of the night. He had seen it time and again. Not of his own free will, but either way his heart rebelled and screamed for mercy; if not for himself, for his maiden at the very least. And he sent out that small light, burning his last bit of vital energy. That was it. The bewildered end.

"So, my dearest priest. Have you enjoyed the show? I do hope a gentlemen such as yourself is quite aware that this foolish act of yours means destruction is inevitable. If not of the entire world, at least your own." A particularly calm voice reached the priest in the dungeons. A voice so calm...so cold...indeed, it would seem as if it belonged to death itself, was there any other creature in the universe as cruel. But the owner of such a voiced showed no cruelty in his features. On the contrary, a very welcoming expression assured that he was to be regarded as loyal, and all qualities of a true gentleman were visible. Elementary, one would say, how could a priest so highly esteemed as Helios be cruel?

Quite an eerie conversation took place amid the storm that did not reach this no longer beautiful reign. A high priest faced himself though the bars of a dirty cell while the same man protested and let out his pleas from inside this torture chamber.

"You do not realize your petty selfish motives will lead you to ruin? I cannot understand how an altruist such as yourself would turn against his own people. Or at least what was once his own plane of existence!" said Helios, trying to bring reason upon himself.

"As you once saved your people, I now save mine." stated the other Helios, a pitiful gaze aimed at the one inside the cell.

"Do you not think the price too high? Would you be willing to destroy your maiden in order to accomplish this? Would you truly sacrifice all things precious to you in the process?"

"You know the answer as well as I do, for it is in my head as much as it is in yours. As one, you cannot deny that a part of you; of me actually, would be more than willing to destroy her...again." He crossed the distance that kept him away from that prisoner for a chance of gazing into his own eyes. Not a clone, not a twin, just himself as it may seem...

"You cannot! It is not within your grasp to decide on the lives of these girls! She's MY MAIDEN!"

"It is not like you at all to loose control like this, my dear. As you said: she's my maiden. As much yours as she is mine, for we are but one. I fancy meeting her again, as you seemed to have abandoned her. It is most unfair for a damsel to suffer as much as she has."

"Do not dare! DO NOT DARE!"

"Stop me, I mean yourself if you can. I'm quite tired of this conversation. I shall tend to my maiden immediately, while you may keep on watching quietly through the bars." Helios kneed and focused his attention for transporting himself all the way to Crystal Tokyo. After all, his little princess was out there somewhere and she seemed to be so sad and hurt...she would need him by her side. He could not leave her in a time like this...

Through the bars, Helios watched himself vanish and pure desperation for not being able to aid his beloved. How could he be trapped like this? For Kami's sake, how unfair can destiny be? How unfair can it be?

"What right have you upon our lives? What right have you?" he whispered before collapsing on floor...holding out the faintest hope of his message reaching her before he did...

* * *

"Check the main power source! Instability in the warm whole. All personnel will be confined to their living quarters!"

This could not be. Not like this. Not Again. Not...

The commander and the entire crew grew weary as the hours passed and their joint effort to keep the ship on course and stable resulted in less quite a failure. The outer shields were crumbling. They would not hold out if this instability were to last much longer. They could not let this reach their princess. She would not withstand it again. This...phenomenon was too much like the one which brought their world to ruin...not again! Nevertheless, this was unusual...as much as it would resemble that harsh campaign pulled off by their one enemy, nothing ever came close to this sort of emergency since Alpha Senshi and the splendorous realm of Earth were rebuilt. Then why? Why were they suddenly thrown against this magnetic storm and torn apart like this...why...

"Commander, the worm whole is closing in all around us. Without the main shields to protect us, we won't reach Earth!" the girl shrieked and her trembling self could not hide the amount of concern in that statement.

"Get a hold of yourself, Lieutenant! We will overcome this little obstacle and complete this journey successfully. None of this should get to our majesty Kakyuu. This will be reported as a perfectly ordinary jump to Earth and that is it? Got it?" the commander, who happened to be a woman as the rest of the crew, had such an awkward and puzzling look upon his face that one could swear everything was going according to plan. And the plan, of course, ought to be a safe and perfectly calm trip to the planet called Earth. They were to take the princess to Crystal Tokyo's spaceport and then escort her to Neo Queen Serenity's palace. So, the question hovering over their minds was bound to be: what is going on?

"Ryokai, commander"

Though the commander's wishes proved to be for the princess' own sake, three senior officers, entitled to protect their majesty, gathered in her very own quarters as they thought reporting the current situation was in the princess's best interest. They were no less than the ones who had saved her in a past long gone, they were her best confidents, they were shouting on top of their lungs while Kakyuu had a nervous smile and a sweat drop over her head.

"Please, calm down. I do understand the emergency this ship is facing, but there is really no need to panic, is there?" the princess tried her best to keep that argument under control, though she could do very little to calm those three.

"My princess, we apologize for our misbehavior, but I do advise you to send a message requesting help for there cannot be a reason for this other than a very powerful entity distorting the time-space continuum!"

"That has already been arranged, Taiki. We had no response from Earth. All we can do is wait and pray that this is just a temporary instability."

Another one of the guardians exploded with rage, uncertain whether to be glad or absolutely disgusted at that statement. She had very little patience when it came to diplomatic business, and little tact in dealing with this kind of powerlessness as well. It certainly wasn't very pleasant to just sit around and do nothing while their lives, and most importantly, the life of their princess was in jeopardy. This was unacceptable. How could any respectable kingdom refuse to answer the... "How can the possibly refuse an SOS massage from a crumbling ship! Besides, the only reason we are here is to respond to the invitation placed by their Queen! How ca..."

"Please calm down, Yaten. It is not their fault. We have sent a message to Alpha Senshi as well, and we had no response either."

"Which means," interrupted Seya, "communications are down and we are trapped in this worm whole indefinitely, or just until it crushes our ship."

The red alert alarm went off all through the living quarters. A few seconds later, a power surge caused the light to go off just the same.

A sharp and deadly shriek and the last shield was destroyed. That was it. An overwhelming and uttermost darkness. In the void of space no one can hear you scream. But there were no screaming, only the silence. Worst than anything else, the silence. And the terrifying smell of blood...

"Seek you, seek you, this is Lieutenant Ark sending one last transmission requesting help from Earth space fleet. Is there anybody out there who can hear me?"

End of transmission.

* * *

Tokyo Bay. Nothing in it resembled that ugly, overcrowded with technology seashore of the XX century. Since space flight became a routine, the Bay had been cleared and one could easily spent their time admiring the beauty of this scenery. It did not possess the aggressive charm of the tropics, albeit it enclosed a mysterious peacefulness of its own. They baby blue sky that ever so gently bathed the pure white sand with a warm, welcoming light. The salty water caressing the sand with its waves. More than a perfect place for spending a lazy summer afternoon.

Details, one would say. This was high night, no stars in the sky, a revolving sea threatening to form a new tsunami anytime now and horrifying storm parting its heavens with lightning. Each would hit the land using every inch of strength the clouds could spare and thus chilling all joy from anyone who dared face its periloussness. And a girl faced it; she faced it with no fear or joy whatsoever. No emotion seemed to reach her strangled heart.

How long had she been lying there? How long would she remain there? Incoherent thoughts within her mind prevented from taking any course of action, or at least that's what she thought. She was inapt when it came to organizing her feelings. Her rational self would not quit the fight with her sentimental self. Maybe if she would just lye there, the pouring rain would wash the darkness away. Or maybe she would meet her death through the hands of electricity...both seemed fine to her. Or none of them, for that matter.

She recalled the outrageous conversation she had that evening. Was it a dream? A nightmare? The truth? She could not tell. She had not seen her reflection since, but it was not very hard to guess a princess with that short hair she had inflicted upon herself aught to be labeled as a rebel.

She laughed at that remark. A mad laughter reaching the depths of the ocean. And then she cried. She cried for herself, for her friends, for everything that ever went wrongs in this miserable life of hers... she cried for him as well. For the one who abandoned her, for the one who failed to fulfill their promise. For the one who should have been her King.

And she did not get up or leave that spot, waiting for something to embrace her gently, be it fate or else. And it came. Lighting struck the sand nearby and she could feel every Mhz of swift death running through her body, harming her tender skin...

"Helios..." she whispered, reaching out for the night, "...so much light...so much..." she did not complete that sentence before having her senses blocked and her little heart stopped.

And then there was darkness... thick, everlasting darkness...

* * *

**Continues on Part Three - Land of Fire and Brimstone**


End file.
